Fairy Tail New Era Fighting The Nightmare Quest Part 1
by 4fireking
Summary: Cooro is back but he doesn't have his trusted teammates April, Haru, or Bones this time. He has a new pupil named Bato he needs to take care of. After going on a quest with Erza, seeing through the betrayal of an old man, and finding temporary new crewmates, all that remains is the hard quest at the end.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys. I bet some of you didn't think I would make a third book to Fairy Tail New Era. To tell you the truth I wanted to do it earlier but Fairy-L-Tail wanted the story to stop with Cooro defeating Waru. I, however, believed there could still be more to the story. cheeryblossoms redwillow and Karen White along with other authors helped me write this first chapter and cheeryblossoms redwillow and Karen White will help me with the second chapter of this story. I love Fairy Tail, my favorite arc is the one where Gajeel is an enemy and the arc where the group plus Juvia fights Jellal.**

* * *

Cooro Dash, a student and active member of Fairy Tail. A year had passed since he defeated Waru and luckily nothing strange had happened since then. Nothing except for the missions he took for Jewels and a pupil for him to train.

Cooro was told his pupil would be twelve, instead he got a fourteen year old first year from his school. The boy used water magic, which Cooro thought Juvia should be teaching, not him.

His name is Bato. His hair was blue like Juvia, but shaved short. He wears an orange shirt with a bear face stiched on and long green pants that strecthed close to his feet. His left hand had a heart mark and he had gray eyes

Members of Fairy Tail always had time for a hobby or just something strange thrust on them. Bato's hobby was making people dress up in strange clothes while he painted them.

The person he liked to pick was Cooro. Earlier he asked, "Hey Cooro can you wear a new piece of black armor I bought?"

Cooro told him he would wear it if Bato paid attention to his lessons and didn't imitate Juvia's Water Slicer again.

"I don't know what it's like when you use your water magic, Bato, but remember all magic reflects the personality of the user. What fun would magic be if it isn't controlled by your own thoughts and desires?" Cooro already told Bato this before. This time, however, Cooro demonstrated it by turning his arm into a steel gloves with long chains.

Cooro used dummies for his test. The best dummies were the ones of people despised the most. Cooro didn't know who he despised most but since he had a long list of members who told him to put a sock in it he made his dummy have the face of every member; he didn't have Loki, Elfman, Luna, and Don.

Cooro showed Bato how he controlled his magic twice. The first time he raised his hand as if he was waving to the dummy, moved his chains without moving his hand, the chains moving slowly like five hungry snakes hunting mice, and then his chains went down in a rain of sharp objects impaling the dummy. He repeated this a second time, but with his eyes closed.

"That's so cool!" Bato said excitedly.

"I'm glad you like my magic. I also hope you know I wasn't aiming for any specific member, I hate all of these members equally. Now it's your turn, can you try using your magic to get one of these dummies wet?"

Despite just telling this to Bato, Cooro was ignored and Bato used a move he wanted to try. "Rip Water Rip!"

Cooro told Bato the first time he saw it that the move wasn't safe even against dummies. When the move was used, the air started to get heavy then it rained down like they were in a monsoon.

The move was a threat to all things dry. First Bato then Cooro were wet. After that the water created a large B made of dripping water that solidified. It broke in the air and flew towards the dummy, slicing it in half with five sharp blades.

Bato was so happy so he used another spell. "Bounce Water Bounce!"

Water from puddles and leaves merge together to make a single, giant ball of water. He couldn't move the ball without using force against it. He pushed it hard so that it bounced up and down, hitting the ground before rolling over the remains of the dummy.

"Thank you so much for getting rid of my dummy." Cooro was kidding. If he wasn't Bato's sensei, he would walk away and complain how Fairy Tail members had no respect for the things he makes. "How about a treat? Food on me at Fairy Tail."

* * *

Bato had an assumption of what Cooro was going to give him when they got back to Fairy Tail and he was right.

Cooro ordered him those triangle shaped steaks with salad dressing on it. The point of Cooro ordering this was to have a moment with one of the Fairy Tail members even he wanted to talk to, Erza Scarlet.

Cooro looked at her and saw a woman whose strength shined above the rest, but was losing that strength because no one wanted to face her anymore. She was the teacher of Cooro's best friend, Haru, strong even against dragons, and lost the same thing as Cooro. They lost three good friends.

Cooro would be lying to himself if he said he didn't want to talk to her. He was about to, but he was stopped by Don coming at him trying to make his best impersonation of _him_.

"Make me a wizard who has multiple voices in my head," Don laughs, "I'm smart and all the girls in Fairy Tail are starting to like me."

" Your imitations of people are getting worse now get out of my way," Cooro replied.

When Cooro usually said something he didn't like about a Fairy Tail member that member would either argue with him or another member would show up. Out of all the members he expected to show up-Lola, Giga, Beauty, Alzack Connels-it was Erza Scarlet herself.

" I would have to disagree with you on Don's imitations," Erza said crossing her arms.

Sparkles formed in Cooro's eyes as Erza approached him. He was no longer angry at Don.

"Hey there beautiful. I'm in a skit featuring you and Cooro!" Don yelled out loud to her. "Come here so I can put a red wig on you and make out."

He was talking to two girls. The first was Beauty who was, until Cooro showed up, the topic of every new boy members' lust. The second girl was Kokat, the S Class member who went with Cooro to the island where their member, Zia, lived.

Kokat walked up behind Cooro and slapped him hard on the back, almost knocking him over.

"Hey there Cooro! How's it going?"

Cooro scowled slightly and rubbed his now aching back.

"Pretty good until you broke my spine." he mumbled bitterly.

An arm snaked over Cooro's shoulders, any other person would have flinched, but Cooro knew exactly who it was.

"Don't be like that Cooro." Beauty purred, "If you'd like I could help you with your back problems."

"No thanks, now could you get off me?" Cooro said pointedly.

Beauty was Fairy Tail's resident flirt. For a while now she's tried to work her Charm Magic on Cooro, but to no avail. But that didn't stop her from trying, much to Cooro's annoyance and every other boy's frustration.

"Come on, pllleeasee? I'll be gentle." she pushed.

"I said no."

Finally seeing that she wasn't going to get anywhere with Cooro, Beauty snaked away to her next victim.

"That was really cool, Cooro," Don said. "All the girl members of Fairy Tail will respect you since you keep avoiding the Fairy Tail flirt."

Bato showed up, food grease on his mouth, grabbing Don by his collar and pulling his face to his level. "Don, please leave. Cooro has big plans for Erza right now."

Cooro rolled his eyes and sighed. Turning to face Erza, he nodded to a more private corner of the guild. One that was not being torn apart by the raging fight that stormed through the guild.

Erza nodded shortly and followed Cooro.

"So Cooro, how are you holding up without your teammates around?" Erza asked, a light air edging her voice.  
Cooro shrugged. "How are you holding up? It's a lot quieter without those idiots around."

Erza chuckled. "They may be idiots, but they have their redeeming qualities as well."

Cooro cocked a brow at the redhead. "Like?"

"Natsu is furiously loyal and I admire that about him. Lucy is quite resourceful, which makes up for her lack of raw power, and Gray is an out-of-the-box thinker who always seems to have an ice creation to get himself out of a jam." Erza listed. "What about your team? What are some qualities you admire about them?"

"Well now every time I think of April, I think about how we kissed once. I told myself to hush and tell her I'll be her boyfriend. But like how you and Jellal kissed-me being you and she being Jellal-we are not free to make a relationship. Haru hasn't been up to any mischief and Bone's been able to control his temper for the last year. I admire my team as well. That's all I have to say."

The Requip Mage nodded in approval of Cooro's response.

"As pleasant as this conversation is, I'm sure there's more you wanted to speak about then our teams."

Cooro nodded and pulled a folded envelope out of his pants pocket and handed it to the Requip Mage.

Cooro had already read and re-read the letter since he got it that morning. It was a request from a man named Byru and he was requesting for him and Erza to slay a monster called the Trannasourous Red. Cooro found it strange that the request was specifically for them.

"Hmm. Quite an interesting request. I've heard of this beast. It's been quite a nuisance to travelers and its hide is remarkably tough."

"Think we should take it? It sounds suspicious to me."

The redhead nodded. "I agree Cooro, but if this beast is causing problems for innocent people then it's our duty as mages of Fairy Tail to help them."

"You're right. I also need this to remind myself who I am. I'm not a mage who sits around and does nothing while other people are terrorized. I act."

Erza smiled. "I'm glad you realize that, but you are correct that we should proceed with caution. We could very well be walking into a trap."

"That's what worries me." Cooro agreed, "But what exactly would they want to trap us for?"

"That I do not know Cooro, but if we are to find out, we're going to have to play Byru's game."


	2. Chapter 2

**I admit the last chapter may've not felt like a real Fairy Tail fanfiction but this chapter I finished with the help of co-author Karen White and cherryblossoms and Pineappleluvuh I can promise it won't bore you. Please read and review.**

* * *

The town that Byru specified as a meeting place was at the start of a traveler's path that snaked by a deep gorge the locals called "Hell's Depths" for its blood red stone and sweltering heat even if it was below the surface and out of the sun's reach.

Cooro thought that finding Byru was going to be difficult since they didn't have an idea of what he looked like or even who he was. But Cooro was quickly proven wrong when someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder, almost making him jump out of his skin. Apparently Erza sensed the disturbance, Requipped a sword, whipped around to face whoever just tapped Cooro, and pointed her sword at him. It was a man in his late 70's with almost neon green hair, heavily veined with grey. Despite his old age, his deep-set brown eyes still had a youthful spark glowing within them. A well-worn smile graced the old man's wrinkled face, despite his dirt covered traveler's clothes. The only thing that wasn't covered in dirt was a necklace that was made from strands of many different metals woven intricately together.

"Woah there Miss! There's no need to point a sword at an old man, is there?" he asked innocently.

"Who are you?" Erza demanded.

"The name's Byru Bogin. And you are Cooro Dash and Erza Scarlet, correct?"

Erza deposited her sword back to wherever she stores them, relaxing slightly but not completely.

"Yes, and I assume that you're the same Byru that requested our help in eliminating the Tyrannosaurus Red?" Cooro asked.

"Well aren't you a sharp boy? Yes, I'm the same Byru, and before you ask what a dirty old ditch digger like me is doing requesting the help of two of the strongest wizards on the continent to slay a monster I have nothing to do with, listen for a moment."

The old man paused for a moment before he spoke.

"My son was a jeweler and merchant. He was quite talented and he loved traveling from town to town selling his jewelry to people who would buy them. But when the Tyrannosaurus Red came, my son was one of the first to vanish as a result of its attacks."

"Attacks?" Cooro asked. "You never mentioned an attack in the letter."

"I thought it would be obvious to you that the Tyrannosaurus Red was attacking people since Tyrannosaurus' are carnivores."

"If that is true, then have you given up hope that your son is alive?" Erza asked, her tone slightly softer.

Byru sighed and briefly touched the necklace around his neck.

"Yes. It's been over a month now. Even if Jin was alive when he disappeared, he couldn't possibly be alive now."

"Sorry for your loss," Cooro said. When Cooro saw the face of a father who lost his son, it was the only thing that could touch his iron heart.

Byru smiled sadly and shook his head. "Thank you, but as of now my only wish is that no other parent suffers the same fate."

"Is that why you sent us that request?" Cooro asked.

The old man nodded. "Yes, with your combined skills, you should be able to defeat the Tyrannosaurus Red."

There was no doubt in Cooro's mind that he and Erza couldn't defeat the Tyrannosaurus Red.

* * *

The descent down Hell's Depths was perilous. The walls were slick like glass and tilted almost at a 90 degree angle with few foot holds. It was difficult, but not impossible. Cooro was glad he could use his Armory magic to create grappling hooks he could shoot from his cannon and repel down. Erza was using her swords as spikes by driving them into the stone walls like they were made of clay.

As they went farther and farther down, the air stunk more and more. Cooro could only recognize that stench as rotting flesh.

"It seems that there have been more victims then we thought." Cooro said.

Erza nodded grimly. "We must do all we can to prevent this from happening to anyone else."

Cooro nodded firmly.

Suddenly, one of Cooro's grappling hooks slipped up, sending a cascade of rocks down into the darkness below. Both Cooro and Erza held their breath. Silently Cooro hoped that nothing would happen, but with no such luck.

A bone rattling roar tore from the bottom of the gorge. Cooro could feel his bones rattling against each other and the very stone of the gorge trembling. If Cooro wasn't both a member of Fairy Tail and a boy who used magic to feel better after falling, he would be in lots of pain and maybe give up his quest with Erza.

"Was that the Tyrannosaurus Red?" Erza asked through locked teeth. It seems that the shaking of the walls made her slip as well.

"I don't know what else it could be. Let's kill it and get this over with."

The Tyrannosaurus Red came straight at them. It looked like a cross between an alligator, a shark, and a wyvern and it was the color of freshly spilled blood. Its teeth were 8 feet long, sharp as swords, and there were three rows of them. Obviously the big teeth it had was terrifying. Cooro fought many powerful beasts but the Tyrannosaurus Red was of a more dominant species than those others except, of course, to Waru.

"I can see why Byru wanted to to be rid of the Tyrannosaurus Red so badly." Erza commented.

Cooro nodded wordlessly.

It was up to Cooro to get himself and Erza out of the gorge. He was going to turn both his hands into cannons. He didn't like to use this move in battle because if he fell down with both arms turned into cannons, he could never get back up. He was going to use one cannon to fire grappling hooks to keep him from falling and the other to attack.

"Eat this! Cannon!"

A sphere of light fired from his transformed arm and slammed straight into the monster's mouth.

Cooro found it funny when he made his enemies eat the light that came out of his cannon.

The monster roared in pain, smoke rising from its mouth. Cooro smirked, but his victory was short lived.

"Cooro! Watch out!" Erza shouted, "Requip: Heaven's Wheel; Circle Sword!"

In a blinding light, Erza's armor changed and swords flashed around her, cutting a massive tail that was rising from the darkness and right at Cooro. The tail was easily cut up and fell away to the bottom of the gorge. Once again the beast roared. One of Cooro's grappling hooks finally slipped out of the soft stone, making him lurch sharply. This was the worst possibly situation Cooro found himself in. The less support there was the less his chain was keeping him from falling to his death.

"Oh this is just great." he muttered under his breath.

Erza paused for a moment and looked back at Cooro over her shoulder.

"Cooro! What's wrong?"

"Gravity!" he strained.

He would use Armory to make the grappling hook stick back into the wall, but...

"It's coming back around!"

On cue, the Tyrannosaurus Red leapt from the darkness, jaws gapping so wide Cooro could see down its throat.

"This is getting annoying! I'm ending this right now!"

A white hot energy rushed through Cooro's veins, brimming over and shrouding him in a blinding white aura. A sphere of similar light accumulated in the cannon chamber as Cooro aimed it down the beast's throat.

"White Dragon Cannon Shot!"

The air tore with the force of the shot firing from Cooro's Cannon, generating furious winds followed by a wash of light that illuminated the whole gorge all the way to the bottom.

The Tyrannosaurus Red bellowed, shaking another grappling hook out of the wall. Cooro reached out with his magic and grabbed onto the chains and latched them back into the wall, quickly stabilizing himself. As that happened, Erza Requipped into an armor that he hadn't seen before.

In her hands were two matching swords. The redhead raised the swords over her head, touching the tips together, as they did a large sphere of energy sparked to life between the swords.

"Requip! Morning Star Armor: Photon Slicer!"

The sphere of energy hurtled at the monster as hard as Cooro's Cannon Shot.

"Cooro! Shoot it again!" Erza ordered.

Cooro pointed his cannon at the beast. "Cannon!"

The shot tore from his cannon barrel and sailed right behind Erza's Photon Slicer right down the monster's throat. It roared as it glowed white and orange from the inside, then exploded, spraying monster bits everywhere.

Even though Cooro and Erza defeated the monster like they were supposed to there was still a chance Cooro would die in this gorge, and he didn't want to die without completing his mission and getting paid.

Erza looked down at Cooro. "Are you okay Cooro?"

"Yeah." he muttered, "Grappling Cannon!"

Several more grappling hooks shot out of the cannon barrel and imbedded themselves at different heights along the wall. Gradually Cooro made his way up the gorge wall. All that gradual climbing finally got Cooro out of the gorge. Cooro was happy to put his cannon away for another day.

"Dispatching that monster was suspiciously easy." Erza muttered, Requipping back into her usual armor.

"I agree. There's something else going on here." Cooro said walking back towards the town, "We need to talk to the old geezer again."

* * *

Today was the only day Cooro wanted Natsu to be here. Byru wasn't in the first spot Erza and Cooro looked; Natsu's animal smell could find him much easier than they could.

"It seems that Byru gave us the slip." Erza noted.

Cooro slammed a fist into the side of a nearby building. It hurt his fist, but it did help to vent some of his rage at his own stupidity.

"If my senses were as sharp as Natsu's, I could find him in an instant." Cooro muttered, "But I've been focusing on honing Armory rather than my Dragon Slayer magic."

An armored hand clasped Cooro's shoulder.

"Don't beat yourself up Cooro. We haven't been gone long, so Byru couldn't have gone far."

Taking a deep breath, Cooro steadied his rage. He would never admit this out loud to anyone, but Erza was right. The old geezer couldn't have gotten very far in such a short amount of time and there were no train stations in this town.

"We should check the paths to and from the town. If I were the geezer, I'd take the safest route out of here as quickly as possible."

Erza nodded and unexpectedly grabbed Cooro's arm and leapt with astonishing strength on top of the roof of the building they were standing next to and started running along the roof, dragging an unfortunate Cooro in her wake.

"H-Hey! What're you doing!?" he protested.

"This will be quicker! We can't afford to waste time navigating if we are going to catch up to Byru!"

Fortunately, for once, the trip was short and as soon as they reached the last roof, they saw the silhouette of their target not too far down the road, feebly hobbling down the dirt path. Erza leapt down from the roof and released her grip on Cooro.

"There's the old guy." Cooro growled.

"BYRU!" Erza roared.

Even if Cooro wasn't a fully realized Dragon Slayer, Erza's roaring voice really rattled his ear drums. Byru seemed to hear it as well. He looked at them over his shoulder, and then tried to sprint down the path, but tripped and fell flat on his face instead, making it easy for Erza and Cooro to catch up to him.

Cooro reached down and grabbed the shivering old man by his shirt collar and hauled him up, anger glowing in his eyes.

"Alright old man, that job was way too easy. What's really going on here?" he demanded.

"I-I told you that your combined skills would be able to defeat the Tyrannosaurus Red." Byru whimpered.

"Even so, the beast fell far too easily." Erza said, a menacing aura swirling around her, "Added to the fact that you attempted to run from us, indicates that there's something more to this than you're telling us."


	3. Chapter 3

**Did any of you think the last chapter reminded you of a real episode of Fairy Tail? If it didn't I can just honestly tell you it was a lot of fun editing it until it was posted. I thank Karen White for helping me write the chapter and now I leave you to read this chapter.**

* * *

Cooro wasn't sure what kind of demonic expression Erza was making behind him, but it was more than enough to break Byru. In seconds the old man was a shivering, sobbing mess.

"Alright! Alright! I'll tell you!" he wailed, "My family was kidnapped by a dark guild and they said that if I didn't send you two that letter and do exactly as they said, they would kill them!"

Cooro felt sympathy for the old geezer hearing the second part but hearing the first part made him want to use a move that once KO'ed everyone in Fairy Tail.

"What is this dark guild's name?" Erza demanded.

"I-I don't know! They just appeared from the shadows and disappeared just as quick!" Byru exclaimed, "Please! I have to go! They ordered me to be back by sundown or they'll slaughter them all! At this rate, I won't make it!"

" You'll make it." Byru looked into Cooro's eyes. He shouldn't have looked into Cooro's eyes because they were scary like Erza's and Lucy's Celestial Spirit Aquarrius. " I have a move that can fly you directly to your boss and when you get to him...I have a way of knowing where you are so I can find your boss and beat him to a bloody pulp."

The old man's eyes watered in what looked to Cooro like gratitude. But in the time it took Cooro to process what Byru was doing, the tip of a dagger seemingly appeared in his throat. Blood sputtered from the wound and Byru's eye's reflected the shock that Cooro felt as they glassed over and the old man fell to the dirt road with a _dull_ thud.

"Tsk tsk. Revealing classified information to the enemy, what a fool. It's a good thing master send me to watch over the old man." a pompous voice sighed.

Cooro felt small trauma. To Cooro there was no such thing as feeling nothing when staring at a corpse still bleeding, but when the trauma was over he unleashed all his magic.

Standing not too far away from where the old man's body lay stood a tall young man. He dawned a crisp, clean Renaissance suit and had long deep purple hair pulled back in a low ponytail and topped with a wide low brimmed hat, similar to what Rufus of Sabertooth wears. A sickeningly sly smirk seemed chiseled into his face, that Cooro would much love to blast into dust with his Cannon.

The man cocked a brow at Cooro, seemingly amused by the fact that Cooro was releasing a ton of magic and wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was going to maul him into an unrecognizable lump of flesh. And Erza seemed to have a similar idea as she had Requipped her Purgatory Armor.

"You...are you one of the dark guild that kidnapped Byru's family?" she asked, her voice having a slight angry tremble to it.

The man chuckled with amusement. "Yes yes, very good deduction. You must be the famous Titania. It's quite an honor to meet you in the flesh. You are truly a sight to behold."

"Do not think flattery is going to save you." Erza said, "Who do you work for!"

"My my, straight to business I see. Fine, if you so badly want to know..."

In a flash of light, the man had a five foot long rapier in his hand and just as quickly, shoved Cooro aside and was pointing the tip at Erza's throat.

"I am Rowan of the dark guild Crescent Genesis."

Cooro wasn't going to stand being ignored by Rowan any more and his arm shimmered before turning into a cannon.

"Don't turn your back on your enemy you Renaissance Reject! Cannon!"

Cooro fired his cannon just as fast as he made it appear. The cannon ball shot at Rowen with frightening force, but in a quick flash of silver the ball was split in half and flung in two separate parts and exploded against the road, generating massive craters.

Rowan chuckled, an amused smirk playing on his face.

"My, aren't you a testy one. You certainly live up to your reputation Cooro Dash."

Cooro liked to keep as quiet as he could against serious opponents because he needed to get serious too and his own voice could get loud enough to pound his own head.

"Nothing to say? A man of few words I see." Rowen smirked raising his rapier, "Fine by me."

Rowen swung his rapier but was stopped midswing by a massive 6-foot long spiked club. The force of the blow snapped the thin sword in half like a brittle twig and sent the dark mage flying a few feet down the road. The man landed with a harsh thud, but remarkably got up rather quickly.

"My my, the scarlet flower have thorns does she not?" he taunted.

The Titania scowled, slamming her spiked club into the dirt, generating a massive tremor.

"What is your purpose Rowen?" Erza demanded.

A mocking laugh passed through Rowen's lips. "You must be curious. Oh how it must _burn_. But I'm afraid I must not speak such information my precious flower."

"I will not ask kindly again."

"What ever shall you do?" Rowen mocked.

"Cooro. Fire!"

The familiar burning sensation filled Cooro's veins, gathering and compressing into a white hot sphere in the barrel of his cannon, which was pointed directly at Rowen.

"Purgatory Armor; Dead Scream!"

"White Dragon's Holy Cannon!"

The blast tore from the cannon barrel, recoiling violently, but Cooro held firm against the almost laser-like blast. With a mighty swing of her club, Erza practically broke the sound barrier, a wave of pitch black darkness rolling off her club, swirling and almost merging with Cooro's blast.

The blast hit him head on, and a blinding flash of light bathed the area in white. When it cleared, Rowen was still standing, almost completely unharmed with a large longsword in his hand. The blade of the sword glowed white, exactly like the attack Cooro just threw at him.

"Tsk tsk. You'll never beat me with such magic." he smirked, "Phantom White Dragon Holy Scream!"

Rowen swung his axe and wave of magic tore off it and right at Erza and Cooro. Just in the nick of time, Cooro tackled Erza to the ground, the attack just sailing over his head before exploding.

"That was too close." he said, getting up.

"That axe...it seems it absorbs magic and throws it right back." Erza growled, getting on her feet as well.

"Very good! With this axe, no attack you throw at me will even touch me. You might as well as give up, you cannot possibly hope to win against the likes of me!"

The dark mage threw his head back laughing. As he did that, a dark aura swirled around the Titania. The pure malice rolling off of Erza made shivers shoot up and down Cooro's spine as the redhead calmly went up to Rowen and punched him hard in the gut. The force of the impact sent him spiraling down the road and making his hat fall off his head and his trusty longsword fall out of his hand.

Erza had the cocky mage by the collar before he could get up.

"You were saying?"

"I-I surrender.."

Naturally, the Titania's back was facing Cooro, so he couldn't see the expression on Erza's face. But he was positive that whatever unholy face she was making at the moment, it was something that he didn't want to witness. Cooro wanted to wait until he was sure Erza wasn't thinking about hurting anymore people.

"I will ask again. What is your purpose?"

"W-We wanted to lure you away!" Rowen squeaked.

Cooro scowled. "Lure _us away_? Why Erza and I specifically?"

"B-Because the magic master intends to cast on all of Fairy Tail doesn't work on spacial magic users like Erza or Dragon Slayers like you!"

"What magic does your master intend to use and why?"

"I-I don't know! Honest! I am but a lowly mage! Not befitting of such knowledge!"

Slowly, Erza raised her clutched fist high above her head. Rowen whimpered in fright, but was quickly cut off by a hard blow to the head certacy of an angry Titania. Erza turned around and walked back towards Cooro, dragging the unconscious dark Mage behind her.

"We should leave Rowen in he custody of the local enforcers and quickly make our way back to the guild. I fear that something troubling is about to occur."

"R-Right.." Cooro muttered, slightly shocked as Erza quickly walked past him and back towards the town.

With a heavy sigh, Cooro followed the Requip Mage

 _What did I get myself into by joining this crazy guild?_

* * *

Cooro asked Erza if she wanted to switch who gets to carry the dark mage but she choose not to.

"I appreciate the offer Cooro, but we must make haste to the guild. If what Rowen said is true, our nakama is in great danger and we have no time to waste with this low life."

Cooro punched the lowlife one last time just because Rowen deserved it. Cooro wasn't cowardly or punched him in the kidneys. He helped Rowen get back on his feet just to punch him down; something Erza was proud with but disappointed at how a member as strong as her had so much trouble paying attention to her.

The Titania knocked Cooro on the head, not hard enough to knock him out, but hard enough to leave a welt on his head.

"We need to focus Cooro!" she scolded.

Cooro was more than focused now and he was a little upset at Erza for leaving a nasty mark on him. The local enforcement took Rowen into custody, they were surprised that there was a dark mage in their town and quickly put him in a holding ceil. As soon as the exchange was made, Erza and Cooro left for Magnolia.

* * *

When Cooro left he inadvertently made Bato start a fight with a member of Fairy Tail. This member was Alzack Connels, Fairy Tail's resident Gun Mage. He and Bato didn't mix very well since Alzack's guns make loud noises and Bato hates that. Alzack was not afraid of a little boy like Bato even though he was trained by the man who defeated Waru and saved Fairy Tail.

"Don't think I'm going to go easy on you just because you're a kid, Bato." Alzack warned, his fingers curling around the handle of his gun.

"And don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're an old man." Bato shot back.

The crowd that gathered "oooh"ed, causing a small smirk to twinge at Bato's face. Cana stood between the two, playing referee for their little fight. Both Bato and Alzack wasn't sure when their argument turned into a guild-wide spectacle, but they weren't going to say anything.

"Alright boys. I want a good clean fight. No dirty tricks, got it? I gotta lot of bets on this fight so don't screw it up." the card mage demanded, taking a few paces back and raising a card in the air, "Ready?"

The card glowed a bright green and a flare shot off from it and flew up just below the ceiling and flashed brightly.

"GO!"

" Mist Water Mist!" Bato shouted.

Bato started the battle trying to blind the good eyes of Alzack Connell. His water had the strength at its best to destroy more than one house; it was also good at protecting its user.

The mist did as intended and blanketed the area in a thick, fog-like mist. There were shouts of surprise and protest from all around from the guild members that were caught up in Bato's spell. For him however, seeing in this mist was not a problem and he quickly was able to locate Alzack.

A small smirk tugged at his face as he stalked towards his target, who was looking around helplessly trying to pin-point where his opponent was. However, Bato's attack was halted in its tracks when the guild doors burst wide open, creating a burst of wind that cleared the mist in one feld-swoop.

Bato expected the figure of Cooro, Erza, Master Laxus, or even some of the teams that have been out on jobs to appear in the doorway, but instead a foreign silhouette stood on the thresh-hold of the Fairy Tail guildhall.

It was a lanky man with a thin almost fragile looking frame that had a slight slouch in his spine. Not much else could be made out from the stranger's silhouette, but they didn't have to wait long to see who it was.

He stepped past the door's thresh-hold and into better light where more of his features could be made out. The man was dressed in a real tough looking manner, similar to how Gajeel dresses, but with a lot more black and a messenger bag slung over his torso. He had drooping brown eyes that clearly read "I'm not impressed with you losers", a head of tousled orange hair and what looked like a nose ring. The man looked to be in his late twenties and had his hands lazily stuffed in his pant pockets as he scanned the room with a critical eye.

"Oi!" Cana shouted, "What'd y'ah think you're doin' ruinin' our brawl?"

The man simply ignored the card mage and removed a hand from his pocket and dug it into his messenger bag instead, pulling out a strange lilac colored sphere roughly the size of a baseball and tossed it up and down in his hand for a moment.

"This is Fairy Tail, right?" he asked, boredom in his voice.

Bato was the one to answer this time, a smile on his face and his fight forgotten. "Yes it is. Would you like to join?"

The man scoffed. "Me? The great Farnado Picazo, join a crappy guild like this? In your dreams."

Alzack turned to face Farnado, and though Bato couldn't see his face anymore but he could feel the waves of disapproval rolling off the senior mage.

"Hey buddy. Don't come waltzing into our guild and call it crappy unless you want to get a beating." the Gun Mage warned.

The guild growled in agreement, but Farnado simple scoffed again and examined his sphere with the same bored look he regarded the guild with.

"What's a bunch of old bags and toddlers gonna do to me? Gum me and bit my ankles?"

Bato pouted both offended and unset. "Hey, that's mean! I'm not a toddler and they aren't old bags! They're middle aged! Except for Alzack really."

"Don't go picking a fight with me kid." Alzack hissed, drawing his pistol.

Farnado scoffed. "I've got better things to do than listen to an old man and a toddler squabble."

Before anyone could ask what that was, Farnado tossed his sphere into the air. A blindingly bright light shone from the sphere across everyone in the guild. To Bato, the light felt cold and kind of tingly, but it didn't do anything other then that.

However, when the light faded, gone were the towering figures of the mages of Fairy Tail and in there place was an array of different...cats?

They all bore a resemblance of some kind to the mages of Fairy Tail, like the fur and hair was the same color and the eyes were the same. But Bato was sure that these cats were the members of Fairy Tail.

"Huh." Farnado said, looking at Bato who was the only human left in the guild hall, "It didn't work on you?"


	4. Chapter 4

**This is the longest chapter I've written so far and that might be because I just couldn't stop writing words when I started writing the story. Thank you fans, thank you Karen White and please fans enjoy chapter four.**

Farnado scoffed. "Fine then. Like one little runt's gonna make a difference."

The man pulled a whistle-like object from his messenger bag and blew through it. A sharp sound rang through the guildhall. Bato covered his ears against the painfully pointed sound.

The sound continued to ring for a few seconds before the ground started to rumble. The floor boards tore up, scattering some of the cats and out of the exposed ground climbed strange humanoid creatures made of stone.

The cats hissed at them as the creatures started to gather up the cats, not even paying attention to the cat's persistent clawing. The cats started to scatter around the guild, hiding under tables, behind the bar, where-ever they could squeeze into.

Bato raised his hands in the air to use his water magic. " Bite Water Bite!"

Two of the stone creatures crumbled under the strike and the four cats they were holding scampered out of their crumbling grasps and out of the guild's back door.

Farnado sighed, clutching the whistle. "You're becoming a real bother kid."

" Mind Water Mind!" Bato fired two beams of water from his hands at the ground. The water created a big puddle. Using his magic fingers he manipulated the water to form into a sphere he raised to his head and fired into a bigger beam at Farnado.

The beam made contact, but when the spell finished, it had done little more than soak Farnado. He spit out a little stream of water and swept his wet hair out of his eyes.

"That's it." he mumbled, digging through his bag again, "I'm done being nice you little munchkin."

Farnado pulled out a bright orange lacrama the size of a soft ball and cocked his arm back to throw it.

"Good bye, Fairy Tail fl-"

"CANNON!"

The dark mage was cut off by a magic cannon shot that Bato knew well. Farnado staggered, dropping the lacrama and looking over his shoulder.

"You." he growled.

"Cooro!" Bato cheered, "And Erza too! You're both back!"

Both mages had a deathly serious look on their faces as they closed in on Farnado. However, the dark mage didn't look fazed in the least by the pair of mages that no doubt would take his head off the first chance they got.

"Tch. Looks like the old man failed." he scoffed.

"You." Cooro growled, "Are you part of Crescent Genesis?"

Farnado scoffed. "Wouldn't you like to know? So you're the great Cooro Dash and Erza Scarlet. Huh, I thought you'd both be more impressive."

Erza Re-quipped a sword. "What have you done to our nakama?"

"Nakama, nakama, nakama." Farnado mocked, rolling his eyes at the mages, "Is that all you ever talk about?"

" Hey I don't like to mention Fairy Tail as much as the next guy but I know unwise people like you deserve every word that has to do with Fairy Tail when you hurt my members." Cooro said.

Farnado rolled his eyes. "Oh, I'm soooo scared." he said sarcastically.

" This is why I believe everyone is very specific and I treat them the way I see them."

Farnado scoffed. "You legal mages. You're always so moral centered it makes me sick."

Erza could feel how much it was rising. Cooro Dash...she's heard of a mage that unlocked a certain key set of power from their emotions but it was Cooro who showed her a mage's inner energy. A member who talked like he came from a dark place and was alienated all his life, he was just a boy who was given words for what everyone thought he was and all he wanted to be known for was how long he stayed in a guild none of those other people could get into.

White energy crackled around Cooro's arm and it morphed into a cannon. Bato grinned widely. Cooro was going to kick Farnado's butt.

Cooro aimed his cannon at Farnado. "Return our guildmates to normal right now."

Farnado cackled lightly. "A bit late for that."

Bato's smile fell and he looked around the guild. The stone creatures were gone. And so were the cats.

" What did you do to them?!" Bato shouted.

Farnado glanced at the water mage lazily. "I collected them, can't you see that, brat?"

" You will give back the people I love!" Erza shouted and threatened Farnado with her sword.

Farnado however looked unimpressed and picked up his lacrama and tossed it up and down in his hand.

"You know. Now that I've done my job, I don't have to be careful any more."

The orange lacrama pulsed dangerously.

"You all are going to die where you stand."

Cooro knew what that lacrama was going to do and even if he used his strongest defense spell he couldn't stop the lacrama.

Farnado prepared to throw the lacrama. "Good bye Fairy Tail Fli-"

"Lock Water Lock!"

A sphere of water appeared around the lacrama. For once, Farnado actually showed emotion.

"W-What!? Spacial Water Magic!? Get this off me!"

Note: The Water Lock actually can stop the lacrama from going off.

" Scared much?" Cooro asked Farnado. " I have news for you. As long as Water Lock is over your lacrima it can't go off."

Farnando scoffed, trying to regain his composure. "I-I don't need a stupid lacrama to destroy you all."

With his other hand he reached for his bag, but grasped empty air.

"W-What? Where the heck is my bag?"

Erza cleared her throat. "Looking for this?"

The messenger bag dangled from her hand.

"Erza? How did you do that?" Cooro asked.

Bato laughed. "That's simple. It's because she's Erza!"

Farnado had no bag and his lacrima was in a Water Lock. No one was going to help him because he was rude and was hard to get along with.

However, he still had his whistle in his pocket. Bato saw the dark mage's hand grasp the small whistle.

"Whip Water Whip!"

Tendrils of water lashed the whistle out of Farnado's hand. He shouted in pain and dropped the whistle.

" Explode Water Explode!"

Bato created a disc of water in his hands. He gave Farnado his best smile before hurling it at Farnado.

Farnado yelled in pain again and growled. "Dam you, you flies!"

"Give us back our friends!" Bato ordered.

"Don't you get it, brat?" he spat, "You're friends are doomed. You're never going to see them again."

" Bato..." Cooro squeezed his eyes together. The sight of it made Farnado sweat in fear. " You are the youngest and greatest water Mage this guild has...show him why."

The water mage grinned wildly and cracked his knuckles.

"Aye Cooro!" he cheered.

Water swirled around Bato like a miniature hurricane.

"Bounce Water Bounce!"

Above Farnado, a giant sphere of water appeared. The dark mage didn't even have time to curse before the sphere dropped on him and flattened him to the ground and smashed into him repeatedly, leaving a Farnado-shaped crater in the guild hall floor.

" Don't worry, you scum. When we find our beat healing mages you'll be back to your usual, nasty, bad self and Fairy Tail will celebrate being back to business by pushing you down the highest place we can think of." Erza said. What she said earned her a thumbs up from Cooro.

Farnado frowned. "Shut up you-"

He didn't finish his sentence because Bato smashed the Water Bounce into him again.

" Sorry Cooro. I couldn't help but want to smash my Water Bounce into him." Bato smirked.

Cooro chuckled. "That's fine Bato. Now,"

The Armory mage stood over Farnado with death in his eyes. "Where are our friends?"

Farnado scoffed. "Like I'd tell you."

" I didn't want to do something idiotic like shot something with my cannon ball inside Fairy Tail, but your unforgivable need to not share information is driving out the savage in me."

Without Farnado getting to question what Cooro was talking about the Mage turned his arm into a cannon and fired a cannonball at one of the tables, shattering it into splinters on impact.

"You think you're scary, punk? You have no idea who you're messing with. These guys, they make you and your friends look like playground bullies."

Cooro wanted Farnado to stop saying things that didn't matter in the least to him. He needed time to think and get some air. Bato however, wasn't going to give up until he got an answer.

"Mister, whatever bad person you're scared of, just remember, we're a lot closer."

Farnado started sweating a little. "I-I'm still not saying anything."

" I know when a warrior only needs a single push to break. You won't breath, won't move, and you will feel helpless like a baby." Said Erza with her eyes larger and scarier than usual. She was telling Farnado it would only take a push from her to paralysis and break him.

The dark mage sweated a little, unable to look away from the Titania's harsh glare. That seemed to be the final push need to break him.

"Okay! Okay! Fine, I'll talk! Just quit lookin' at me like that!"

Erza wasn't good at looking at people she didn't like without her eyebrows crossed and a frown on her face. It was a good thing she was switched for Cooro.

The Armory mage stepped in between Erza and Farnado.

"So, you finally decided to talk?"

Farnado nodded furiously. "I already said that! Weren't you listening!?"

" I heard you. Be that as it may you still are untrustworthy and the one who made members of this guild disappear. Don't lie and tell me the truth."

Farnado rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright. Geez. The golems are taking all your friends to the guildhall. Master plans to use all their combined powers to recreate an Etherion Cannon and threaten the Council and the King into surrendering control to him."

"Where is this guildhall of your's?" Erza demanded.

"I-It's at the bottom of the ocean!"

Cooro blinked. "The bottom of the ocean?"

"Yes. The bottom of the the ocean. Your ears clogged or somethin' kid?"

" No. My ears are fine because I keep them well shielded with s magic item of mine. What I wish wasn't said was ' the bottom of the ocean' and the reason why is I don't have any magic or experience to swim down there."

"I can think of someone that could help." Erza said.

Cooro looked at Erza in confusion, but the redheaded mage simply nodded at Bato.

"He is a water mage and if our friends are at the bottom of the ocean, then Bato is our best bet."

Cooro saw that look in Bato's eyes. He's never been underwater before. He could do anything in the water. Cooro made up his answer and it was...

" No. Bato, your not coming on this mission."

Bato frowned and shock his head. "I'm coming! Fairy Tail is my home and I'm going to help save it!"

" Haven't I thought you anything?" Cooro sighed and shook his head with one hand placed on his forehead and then his eyeballs. " It's okay to call Fairy Tail a home, but risking your life for a home and friends is just stupid. Not to mention you may have _potential_ to be a great wizard but you still have a _lot_ to learn."

"But you _need_ my help Cooro! How do you plan to get to the bottom of the ocean without water magic!" Bato protested.

" If there's anything I learned doing missions on Fairy Tail it's always read the missions, start the journey hydrated, and follow it by trying to make a friend on the mission. I know another water Mage who can help me and Erza."

Bato scowled. "I'm coming! I can't just sit here and do nothing! I know I'm not the strongest, but I want to help!"

Cooro still didn't think it was fine to take Bato with him on this mission but whatever Fairy Tsil member speaks their mind is too stubborn to argue with.

Besides, Bato would try to find a way to come along whether or not he approved and that could end with Bato getting seriously hurt and as much as the kid annoyed him at times, that's not something Cooro would wish on the innocent water mage.

Farnado finally decided to speak up. "Y'ah know it might be a good idea to bring the kid along."

Erza zeroed in on the mouthy man like a hawk. "And why would that be?"

"H-Hadn't it even crossed your mind how the kid was the only one who didn't get turned into a fuzzball?"

Cooro raised an eyebrow. "Care to enlighten us?"

"Ain't it obvious? The Catification spell doesn't work on Dragon Slayers or Spacial Magic users. The kid's gotta have Spacial Water magic, 'cause I doubt he's a Dragon Slayer!" Farnado exclaimed.

Cooro knew from the moment he first met Bato he was not a Dragonslayer. Cooro didn't know he was a Dragonslayer growing up, but he discovered ways to find out if people were Dragonslayer's.

" Did I ever tell you about the maids who worked in my sisters Cafe? That maid cafe isn't owned by her anymore but they all had very special magic, except China who was a Celestial Wizard."

Erza nodded. "We will need all the help we can get if we to rescue our friends."

When he thought no one was looking, Farnado tried to squirm out from under the Water Bounce. Much to his disappointment Cooro noticed. The dark mage had about wormed himself halfway out, but the Armory mage noticed and stopped him.

"Hey Erza, what do you want to do with this urchin?"

"Good question Cooro." the redheaded mage agreed.

"How about we dropped him off at the police station and get going?" Bato offered.

Cooro grinned. "Good idea kid."

Farnado sweat-dropped. "Please don't..."

Cooro just used his own strength to carry the man out of Fairy Tail to the police station. On the way the three continued planning how they would get everyone in Fairy Tail back.

"The golems couldn't have gotten far, but they must be only temporary as a mode of transport. But where would the hand off point be?" Cooro questioned.

Bato raised a volunteering hand. "Oh! How about at Hargeon? It's a port town and if the bad people's base is at the bottom of the ocean, wouldn't they make the hand off close to the water?"

" Good thinking. All we have to do is walk all the way to Hargeon. Actually, Erza, do you know any better transportation?"

A small, mischievous smile worked its way onto the Titania's face.

"In fact I do."

In seconds, Erza had rather roughly thrown Cooro and Bato in the back of a Magic Mobile and had situated herself in the driver's seat, fitting the SE plug to her wrist before starting the vehicle.

Cooro sweat-dropped. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

His question was quickly answered when the Magic Mobile lurched forwards, plastering Bato and himself to the back of the cabin as the Magic Mobile tore town the streets of Magnolia in the direction of Cooro's hometown.

"You said there was someone who could help working at your sister's café, correct?" Erza called over the wind.

"Yeah."

"We're going to need all the help we can get. Cooro, get a communication lacrama as soon as you can and call up Laxus and the other Dragon Slayers and tell them what's happening. Crescent Genesis decided to mess with the wrong guild."

" I'll let all the right people know and tell them to be ready for a fight but I'll ask them after that to try to not start a war."

Erza chuckled. "They might not listen Cooro. Starting wars is one of Fairy Tail's greatest talents. No one is going to be happy to find out that the entire guild has been kidnapped. Especially someone like Natsu."

" I'm sure one of these days I'll have a voice in Fairy Tail and going to war will never happen again." Cooro paused trying to imagine what life would be like if no member of Fairy Tail went off to war. " I guess all I can do is make war more one sided so I know no one will get hurt. That's however boring to the many Fairy Tail members."

"Hey Cooro?" Bato asked tentatively, "Do you think everyone will be okay?"

" That depends on us. If you asked me if everyone would be 'alright' before we left Fairy Tail my answer would be me _and_ Erza would save everyone. Because you think being my pupil means going on adventures I'll ask you this question: do you think we can rescue everyone?"

A determined expression grew on the young mage's face.

"Of course we can! We're Fairy Tail mages and we can do anything we set our minds to!"

Cooro didn't tell Bato this but the idea of going into water gave him the chills. The rattling of the Magic Mobile as it tore down the road was a pretty good distraction as they exited Magnolia. Cooro wasn't sure how long it would take to get from Magnolia to his home town, but he hoped it wouldn't be too long. Time was of the essence and the Armory mage knew that as powerful as Erza was, she wouldn't be able to drive forever.

Seeing Erza driving the Magic Mobile remained him of two girls. One of them was a girl he questioned his affections for and another was just created through a gut feeling or whatever he was feeling. Cooro was smart, but he made simple things much harder than they have to be.

Cooro still didn't think it was a good idea to bring Bato along on such a dangerous mission. Bato was just a kid and an amateur mage at that. From what Cooro has seen so far, the mages of Crescent Genesis were strong and crafty. They'd lured Cooro and Erza away at the exact moment when all the other mages that wouldn't be effected by their spell were already gone. And with all them out of the way, that left the rest of the guild wide open for an attack.

But what Cooro didn't understand was why they didn't find a spell that worked on Dragon Slayers and Spacial mages especially since a handful of mages with that magic were ten times stronger than the regular mages in Fairy Tail. Something felt a little off and if Cooro didn't know any better than Crescent Genesis was setting them all up for a trap. But really, with the lives of the rest of the Fairy Tail guild hanging in the balance, what choice did they have but to walk right into it?

The mages of Fairy Tail drove Cooro insane, but even he wouldn't wish something like this upon them.

He wished he had a book that could explain everything he was thinking and everything he wants to think about. Unfortunately no such book existed, so Cooro had to settle for his own thoughts.

* * *

Gia was an Exceed and she was having a little catnap. She was doing it at the cafe Cooro and Nana use to live in. After Cooro joined Fairy Tail and Nana lost her boyfriend neither of them live in the cafe anymore.

The Exceed missed her companion. He didn't come by the cafe much anymore and was usually too busy balancing school, requests, and training that young water mage, Bato to stop by most times. Since Waru was destroyed, Cooro has grown stronger to the point where Gia's assistance wasn't as necessary anymore.

She sat up, stretched and lazily flew on her wings to the fridge and pulled out a full glass bottle of milk and unscrewed the lid. The Exceed was about to drink it when the cafe's door flew off it's hinges and across the room, taking a couple tables with it. Gia dropped her milk in surprise and extended her wings, which now took on a metallic shine.

"Who's there! I'm warning you, I'll tear you to shreds!" the cat threatened.

"Erza, why the heck did you kick the door in!?" a familiar voice exclaimed.

"It was locked. How else would we get in?"

Gia relaxed, recognizing the voices. "Cooro, Erza? What are you doing here?"

The two Fairy Tail mages walked in, but someone else followed them in. A young teen with blue hair and an orange shirt with a bear face stitched on it.

"Cooro, who's that?" Gia asked, pointing at the teen.

"This is Bato, he's the mage I'm training."

Bato waved at Gia. "Hi Miss Kitty cat!"

Gia chucked when the little boy called her Miss Kitty. Gia's first idea was that Bato was a nice boy, and her second thought was if Cooro trained him well?

"So what brings you here Cooro? You don't usually come here." Gia said landing on one of the untouched tables.

"There's trouble. A dark guild called Crescent Genesis has taken the members of Fairy Tail to recreate the Etherion cannon." Cooro explained.

Gia gasped. "The whole guild?"

"Not the whole guild." Erza clarified, "The Dragon Slayers and the Spacial mages like Lucy are still free. They were out of the guild at the time of the attack."

"So why is Bato with you? From what I've heard, Bato is still an amateur and this sounds like a dangerous mission."

"I want to help fight!" Bato declared.

Gia knew members of Fairy Tail were loud and unexpected but hearing those words helped Gia understand what a little kid was doing in such a dangerous mission.

It still didn't make her any less uneasy about such a young mage embarking on a quest like this, even in the company of two very powerful mages.

"We should get down to business, who knows how much time there is between now and when Crescent Genesis makes the exchange." Erza reminded them.

"Right. What do you need?" Gia asked.

"Do you know where China is, Gia?" Cooro asked.

Gia rubbed her paws against her head. When she remembered she flapped her wings with glee.

"China's at the cafe working her shift." the Exceed explained, "Why do you need China? You have a pretty reliable group right here and if there are other powerful mages that are still free, I don't get why you'd need China."

"We're going to need all the help we can get our hands on." Cooro said, "The spell that Crescent Genesis used on Fairy Tail doesn't effect Dragon Slayers and Spacial type magic like Celestial Spirit Magic and Requip."

Gia nodded, now understanding. "I see now. If they tried to do whatever they did to Fairy Tail, it wouldn't work on any of you. That's smart Cooro."

"Are you saying I am dumb?" the Armory mage asked.

The Exceed shook her head innocently. "No, not all the time."


	5. Chapter 5

**Thankfully my obligation to post a chapter everyday of a story helped me finish this chapter. I would like to thank Karen White who I am collaborating on this story with. That being said I hope you like Fairy Tail but know there are times it can be lazy and it can be corny, not to mention people mostly watch it for the fanservice and that it's like Harry Potter but with brawling and actual emotions in a fight.**

Cooro would demand more of an explanation but he didn't have time to have his ego respected by a creature that looked like a cat that could only talk because it was a magic cat.

"We better depart." Erza said, "Thank you for your help Gia."

"No problem Erza."

The Armory and Requip mages were about to leave until Bato spoke up.

"Is Miss kitty cat not coming with us?" the water mage asked innocently.

" I don't know. Did you want to have kitty come with us. She has the special ability to turn her wings into steel. I promise you if she likes you no sword will hurt you if she's with you."

Bato nodded fiercely. "Yes please!"

Gia felt a small, fond smile crawl on her furry face. The Exceed had only known the young water mage for meager minutes and she had already grown strangely attached to him.

" Gia come over here," Cooro said. Gia looked at him with a weird look on her face. First he ignored her and now she was listening to her. " I'm not going to ask this much but can I stroke your fur. You and I may no longer live together anymore but petting your fur reminds me of all the good times we had."

The Exceed chuckled and did as she was instructed. "I miss it too Cooro."

Cooro didn't care if scratching Gia made his hands feel that weird unexplained feeling again. It was the same feeling of skin cracking from dry skin but also his hand felt wet. Cooro pet her for five minutes and when he was fine he lifted her up to hug her. Hugging was something Cooro told everyone he would never do, but today he made an exception.

When Cooro was done, Erza was smiling fondly at him, but she also had one hand on the door handle.

"We should make haste and find China. There isn't a moment to loose." the Requip mage declared.

Cooro whispered into Gia's ears how it would be a good idea to follow him with her wings out while he and his friends were walking on the ground and sitting in Erza's vehicle.

Gia nodded. "Okay. The cafe is up on the hill. If you talk the main road, you'll make it in a few minutes."

Cooro was reminded of how there wasn't a moment of haste and he divided what number that probably was in Erza's head to know when she could get to the cafe now.

Luckily, it didn't take them long to reach their destination. The magic mobile didn't even come to a complete stop when Erza leapt out of the drivers seat after hitting the brakes enough that the vehicle would stop without crashing and barreled through the cafe door in the most Fairy Tail-like fashion.

Gia came down next to Cooro and sweat dropped. "I forgot how direct Fairy Tail members are."

Cooro didn't want Gia to be nervous when she was just trying to stay away from members of Fairy Tail who don't listen to laws or know what stuff they shouldn't do.

"They never change do they?" Cooro sighed, "Let's follow before Erza breaks something."

At the time Erza was moving around so fast it looked like she already went through the entire cafe in just a few short minutes. She wasn't just running around as she looked at people but they didn't look like the person who she was searching for.

It didn't help that she didn't even know what the person she's looking for looks like. Cooro however saw the person they were looking for so shocked and making an angry face that she wasn't stopping tea from spilling on a customers lap while the customers girlfriend had the same face.

Her dark skin was reflecting pink colors for some reason now. Her sleek hair now had wing hair clips. One hair clip was on the bottom and the other was on the top showing two vertical lines revealing the skin in her head. Her old maid uniform was replaced after her breasts grew so she know wore a zipper maid uniform with a white underskirt. Her eyelashes were brown much like her eyes.

" Hello Canary," Cooro greeted her.

" I don't go by that name anymore, Cooro. Aero and I decided my new name should be China. And...WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

"We need your help Ca-...China."

She set the tea pot down and put a hand on her hips while raising an eyebrow at him.

"Oh? What could a big, tough wizard like you need help from me for?"

" Saving every member of Fairy Tail including the ones who became my friends, the strongest mages I've met, and the ones I've always considered beasts. We are going to hunt down and take down a guild called Crescent Genesis."

"Crescent Genesis, huh? I've never heard of them, but how do you expect to beat them with only four mages and a cat if they were able to take out the strongest guild in the country?"

" I just want Fairy Tail to be under a roof where I know their safe-stupid and too wild for me to attempt to talk to-but an annoying day with every member of Fairy Tail is better than being away from them too long."

China hummed thoughtfully for a moment then smiled. "Alright. I'm in. I've been in the mood to kick some butt."

Cooro took that time to find Erza and tap her gently on the armor covering her right shoulder.

"We're ready to go." he said.

Erza nodded. "Alright. Let's not waste another second. We must get to Hargeon as soon as possible."

"I think I can help you out there Erza." China grinned, "I happen to know someone who's very fast. But let's get outside first.

China went on ahead, leaving the Fairy Tail mages little choice but to follow. When they went outside, she was standing by the road with a silver key in her hand.

" **Open! Gate of the Charioteer: Auriga!** "

In a flash of light, a woman wearing a racing suit appeared by the road with a race car behind her. Goggles hung loosely around her neck and a symbol was embroidered on the hip of her suit. Her eyes darted from face to face with cold calculation before landing on China and immediately brightening.

"Whatch'a need sweet pea?" the spirit asked, with a slight Southern accent, "It's unlike you to call me since you live in this one-horse town."

"Hey Auriga, I need a favor. Can you get me and my friends to Hargeon as fast as possible?" China asked.

Auriga's face lit up. "Hargeon? That's quite a ways sweet pea. But lucky for you, fast is my middle name. Tell your friends to hop in."

China glanced over her shoulder. "Well? You heard her. Jump in."

"Um..." Cooro trailed, "How are we all going to fit in there?"

The race car was clearly designed for one or two people, so it alluded the Armory mage how all six of them were going to fit in there even though one of them was a cat.

Auriga laughed. "Magic, honey dew. Now quit flappin' your gums and get in."

The spirit stepped into the drivers seat and China circled around to the other side of the car and stepped in as well. Erza wasted no time getting in and Bato was close behind. Cooro and Gia were more hesitant, but followed regardless. When Cooro stuck his head in the side door he was surprised that the cabin was bigger on the inside.

He must have let his surprise slip onto his face because China laughed.

"What do you think Cooro? Auriga sure knows how to travel in style, huh?"

"Oh! You're makin' me blush sweet pea. Now whatch'a waitin' for honey dew? Get in! And you're little Exceed too."

Cooro had a big grudge filled look on his face when he held Gia and walked into the car with Bato and Erza. Gia who loved moving fast raised her cat paws in the air.

Despite the tiny exterior, the inside of Auriga's race car was like a limo, complete with a little bar fully stocked with snacks and drinks that Erza and Bato had already helped themselves to.

Cooro's cold demeanour was the reason he didn't partake in eating any snacks from the bar. However, since Gia liked being close to Cooro but wasn't big enough to grab snacks from his lap Cooro reached out to grab some and supplied her with the treats.

Auriga pulled her goggles over her eyes and started the engine.

"Hold on tight darlings. This is gonna be the wildest ride of your life." the spirit warned.

"Wilder than Erza's driving?" Bato asked innocently.

"Right you are sugar cube."

The charioteer spirit stepped on the gas and the car shot forward. Cooro and his friends were caught off guard and plastered against the seats as the race car tore down the street. Looking out the window, Cooro could see the town flying by in an almost solid blur.

China whooped with glee from her seat, and as a result, edging the spirit to drive faster. How they hadn't hit something was as big a mystery as how the race car was bigger on the inside, but Cooro figured it had something to do with them practically going at the speed of light.

It wasn't so bad moving that fast. This would most likely be the only day Cooro would get the chance to move so fast and he was doing it while holding the Exceed he loved above all others. It wasn't long however until the car came to a stretching halt. The inertia of the sudden stop threw the people riding inside to fly off their seats, all except for Erza and China, who were both smart enough to wear seat belts.

Cooro didn't feel like a genius and a gifted schoolboy when he went flying out of his seat. It was a good thing he had Gia crouched in his arms and purring before the sudden stop. Her Wing magic and legs easy to hold onto stopped Cooro from falling to the ground.

"We're here." Auriga announced, lifting her goggles.

China unbuckled and laughed. "Wow! Thanks so much Auriga! You're amazing as always."

"Why thank you sweet pea."

Everyone filed out of the car, and were surprised that they were indeed in Hargeon. It was incredible to think that they had traveled so far in such a short amount of time, but speed was probably Aurgia's specialty.

The charioteer leaned against the hood of her car, flashing an easy smile at the group.

"Just call me if y'ah need my services again sweet pea."

"Thanks a lot Aurgia." China said.

Bato nodded. "Yeah! Thank you speedy spirit lady!"

Aurgia laughed. "Not a problem sugar cube. See y'all around."

With that, the charioteer spirit disappeared in a poof of pink smoke. When it cleared, the only evidence that entailed that Aurgia was even there were the tar black tire marks on the cobble stone.

Cooro couldn't say he wasn't thankful for that spirits help but he never said anything without putting what he hated and he didn't want to say he almost vomited from her speed.

Even so, they made it to their destination in one piece and looking at his watch, it only took five minutes.

"Wow. Auriga sure got us here in a hurry." Gia commented.

"'In a hurry' is her specialty." China winked, "Auriga is the fastest Celestial Spirit in the Spirit World so she's always handy to have around. But now that we're here, we should get down to business."

Erza nodded. "China is right. We have to find the ship that Crescent Genesis is using to smuggle our comrades."

"...So look for a group of people with a lot of cats?" Cooro deadpanned.

"Yes. Basically."

Cooro's head felt like he was smelling fumes all day. If he was painting something all day he would put Gia in another room so she wouldn't have to smell those fumes. That wasn't the point. The point was Cooro wasn't intimidating, he couldn't walk up to someone and make them tell him information that would just sound completely stupid if they weren't working for Crescent Genesis.

The group had split up to cover more ground and Cooro was on his own. Well, not exactly since Gia was with him. He wasn't exactly sure how they were going to find Crescent Genesis because there was too many ways for it to go wrong or not work.

Cooro was walking down the docks, half-absorbed in his thoughts, Gia flying above him, just high enough that she looked like a funny bird from ground level when a man and a woman walked by, each one carrying a large crate. Suddenly, the man tripped and dropped his crate. When the crate hit the dock, there was a chorus of loud meows from inside the box.  
Cooro stopped in his tracks, turning to face the scene.

"Hey! Careful with that Gaston!" the woman barked, "Master's gonna be pissed if any of the cargo is damaged!"

"Sorry Diane-sama.." the man muttered.

Gaston reached for the box and the sleeve of his jacket slid up just enough to reveal a neon green crescent moon with a thick line through the center, giving the illusion that it was a capital letter "g". The man picked up the box, but the lid started to bow upwards, desperate meows echoing from inside.

Cooro made the connection. These two were with Crescent Genesis. He marched straight up to them, not caring if it was possibly a reckless decision. Cooro doubted he could take these two on alone, unless he a made enough ruckus.

"Hey!" he shouted, "What are you doing?"

Diane scowled at him. "None of your business, squirt. Now scram."

Cooro didn't like their attitudes. He didn't care if they worked for Crescent Genesis or were just people who liked keeping boxes of cats...he would destroy them with his magic.

His left arm shifted into a cannon and he aimed it at the Crescent Genesis members while steadying it with his right hand. This left his guild mark exposed to their line of sight.

"I think you'll find it _is_ my business."

Diane's eyes widened at the sight of the familiar emblem. "Crap! He's with Fairy Tail!"

"What do we do Diane-sama!?" Gaston asked, panicking.

The woman hit him upside the head with a hard hammer fist. "We beat him that's what!"

" Beat me? Have a good try, but even if I don't win I can make you two know how high a no good kid can become when he's fighting for Fairy Tail."

Diane still scoffed. "It still doesn't change the fact that you're a simple brat from that goody-goody legal guild. Gaston, deal with him while I handle the cargo."

Gaston nodded eagerly and cracked his knuckles. "If Diane-sama says to beat you, I will beat you!"

Behind him, Diane was trying to gather up the crates. She was having a hard time but finally got both crates in her arms when she was dive-bombed from above by a flash of metal and fur.

Diane shouted in surprise and dropped the crates. On her foot. Cooro couldn't hold back a wince at the dark mage's expense. The feeling of dropping heavy objects on his feet was one he was familiar with and it wasn't a good feeling. However, the woman was uneffected by the weight of the crates crushing her foot as she was completely focused on a flying Exceed with metal wings that was dive-bombing her.

Confident that his Exceed friend could hold off the second member of Crescent Genesis until he dealt with Gaston. Cooro noted that Gaston was no small fry mage. In fact he more resembled Elfman in terms of body type, which greatly dwarfed the Armory Mage in comparison. Which begged the question how Diane, who was significantly smaller than Gaston, obviously had him under her thumb.

"You shall not pass Fairy Tail fly! Gaston is Man of Steel!"

The dark mage threw a fist at Cooro, an attack that he easily dodged with no damage whatsoever. The dock wasn't so lucky. When Gaston's fist made contact with the wooden walkway, it completely caved in and created a gaping hole in the dock. People by now had stopped what they were doing and turned to see what was going on. Cooro could only imagine what they were thinking, but so far no one was running away screaming.

Gaston stood up and faced Cooro again. Cooro's gaze focused on the man's right arm. The sleeve had been torn up by the splintering debris generated when he punched a hole in the walkway and now revealed that his right arm was completely made of steel.

"Heh. You weren't kidding when you said 'man of steel'." Cooro muttered.

Gaston laughed darkly. "Gaston will crush you like fly you are!"

The dark mage charged Cooro again, but Cooro wasn't moving this time. Instead, he rose his cannon arm level with Gaston's face and fired. The beam of concentrated magic hit Gaston hard and knocked him off the side of the dock and into the harbor below. Cooro half hoped that Gaston's steel arm wouldn't drag him to his doom. Half hoped.

"Gaston! You idiot!" Diane bellowed, "You incompetent, pea-brained, idiot! I told you to stop that twerp! When I get my hands on you, you'll wish you were never born!"

Cooro raised an eyebrow at Diane. "Your partner just fell off a dock into a harbor with a metal arm and all you're concerned about is that he didn't beat me?"

Diane tore her foot out from under the crates, now not even paying Gia any attention as she continued her attack on the dark mage with her claws and wings. The dark mage's attention was completely focused on Cooro.

"Fine then. I'll take you down myself. I'm ten times stronger than that meat head! You're going to regret crossing paths with Crescent Genesis!" Diane declared.

"And you're going to regret ever hearing Fairy Tail's name when I'm done with you." Cooro said, aiming his cannon at Diane.

And that's where the bystanders finally came to their senses and started running as far away from the imposing fight as they could. He'd surely attract the attention of his friends and by extension, back up.

Diane laughed maniacally. "I've never fought a little pipsqueak like you before. And you're from Fairy Tail? Ha! Did Farnado leave you behind because you were too weak to even bother grabbing?"

Cooro's cannon hummed angrily. "Why don't you come over here and find out?"

A wicked smile crossed Diane's face. "My pleasure. **Solar Rupture**!"

A baseball sized sphere of blinding white light illuminated Diane's palm as she thrusted her palm towards Cooro, letting the attack launch from her palm. Accompanying the attack was a massive flash of light that washed over the area as the attack hurtled towards Cooro.

"You have got to be kidding me." Cooro muttered, in slight amazement.

His arm shifted from a cannon and with little effort, Cooro caught the spell in his hand and the blinding flash disappeared. Diane's jaw almost dropped when the light dimmed enough for her to see that Cooro had caught her attack. Nonchalantly, the Armory mage brought the sphere of light to his mouth and took a bite out of it.

It tasted like a burned marshmallow.

This time, Diane's jaw did indeed drop as Cooro choked down another bite of the white sphere.

"Y-You're...a D-Dragon Slayer!" she stuttered.

A couple more bites and the sphere was gone and despite it not tasting the best, Cooro felt significantly more energized after consuming it.

"Still think you can beat me?" Cooro asked casually.

Just looking at her, Cooro could see the wheels spinning in Diane's head. He almost smiled as she quickly pieced together why he was here and trying to stop Crescent Genesis from taking the catified members of Fairy Tail.

Diane's eyes widened in shock and realization.

"Oh sh-"

Cooro cut her off mid-swear. "My turn! **White Dragon's Roar**!"

Cooro's breath attack was significantly smaller than that of Natsu, Gajeel, or any of the other Dragon Slayers. But that didn't mean if didn't pack a punch or wasn't capable of destroying a building or two. Diane was unfortunate enough to be hit directly by the breath attack.

A sonic boom echoed through the harbor, boats rocked violently on the disturbed waves, buildings lost shingles and signs, and Diane was nicely barbecued and thrown across the dock into a stack of crates and fishermen's nets.

Coughing and sputtering from the harbor drew Cooro's attention. Gaston had pulled himself out of the harbor, but he was soaking wet and gasping for breath. Cooro wasn't sure if it was from probably almost drowning or from hauling himself up a two story dock on the support beams.

The Man of Steel rolled over the edge and onto solid ground, laying flat on his stomach gasping. Gia had landed on Cooro's shoulder. Thankfully the Exceed had gotten clear of the attack and wasn't harmed and had joined Cooro in watching Gaston's display. The Armory Mage wasn't sure if he should attack Gaston or just continue watching until the dark mage either noticed Diane had been defeated and/or noticed him.

Gaston noticed Diane first.

The Man of Steel gasped loudly.

"Diane-sama!" he cried, "Who did this to you!"

Gaston's head snapped in Cooro's direction and white hot fire almost burned in his eyes when he saw Cooro standing on the dock.

"YOU!" He bellowed, "You hurt Diane-sama! You will die for this!"

Gaston got to his feet and charged at the Armory Mage with the speed of a raging bull. But just as fast, Cooro armed his cannon and fired at Gaston. The blast hit him hard, but surprisingly this time it reaped no effect. Instead it simply bounced off his head like it hit a mirror or something of the sort. Upon closer inspection, Gaston's entire body seemed to shine with a dull grey sheen. The same color as steel.

After Cooro's failed attack, Gia acted faster than Cooro and grabbed hold of his shirt and bolted into the air. Cooro felt Gaston bowl through the spot where Cooro once stood, as a harsh blast of wind under his foot was left in the Man of Steel's wake.

"Geez. That guy must have some sort of Skin Magic that made him steel!" Gia hypothesized.

"Well, that would make sense. He is called the Man of Steel after all." Cooro agreed.

Below them, Gaston was jumping comically, swatting at the air just under Cooro's feet in a fruitless attempt to grab his foot and yank him back down to earth. However, the dark mage continued to come up short. His metal clad body was simply too heavy for him to jump any higher than a couple of feet. And too much for the old wooden dock to handle.

A sharp crack accompanied by a shrill, girly scream followed by a loud splash came from below Cooro. Looking down, there was a brand new hole in the dock directly below him where Gaston used to stand.

Cooro glanced up at Gia, who looked equally as miffed by what just happened.

"Should we help him?" Gia asked, "With that steel skin, he'll sink like a stone."

Cooro shrugged. "Nah."

"That's a bit cruel Cooro. Even for you."

"Well if that's his magic, he should be able to turn back. I'm sure he'll be fine. Besides. He came back up after I threw him in the harbor with that metal arm, didn't he?"

Sure enough, Gaston resurfaced, his skin once again normal and gasping for breath.

"Huh. How 'bout that?" Gia said, lowering Cooro next to the hole.


	6. Chapter 6

**Two chapters. That's how many chapters I was able to write for your long patience of me updating. If this story isn't finished I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me, but don't blame my coauthor Karen White who helped make this story. I miss Fairy-L-Tail's help but new help isn't bad at all.**

Cooro knew he was right because he was almost always never wrong. Except for how he expected his time in Fairy Tail to turn out but he was right when he faced an enemy with a good heart, came up with strategies for his fights, and he knew his scarf could help him achieve victory at some points.

But that aside, by now Erza, Bato and China had come to see what the ruckus was all about. None of them looked very surprised that there was a charred lady laying unconscious in a pile of nets and crates, a large hole in the dock, and two mewling crates that thankfully had been thrown to the side in the fight and out of harms way.

"Cooro, what happened here?" Erza asked.

"We found some members of Crescent Genesis." Cooro explained.

"And then Cooro beat them up." Gia sweat-dropped.

Erza could see how hard Cooro was trying not to smile at how he beat those two Crescent Genesis members. This was like how Cooro was in a rush to finish his missions.

Cooro hauled the two members of Crescent Genesis before Erza and stood behind them to make sure they didn't try to make an escape. Diane had awoken by now and was rather confused as to what happened, but Cooro was sure that she turned white as a sheet when she laid eyes one who she was sitting before.

Erza did not look too happy. She was fixing Gaston and Diane with the same hard glare she reserved for Natsu and Gray when they start fighting and make a mess of the guildhall. Even Gaston, who was brimming with rage just moments before looked like he was about to wet himself.

China didn't look any less intimidating and from Cooro's perspective, she looked like she was contemplating the most painful way to end them.

Bato on the other hand, was simply petting the cats from the crate. Cooro didn't know when Bato had opened the crate, but he was glad to see that the cats inside weren't harmed beyond ruffled fur and maybe a couple of bruises.

" As a man who treats animals with the same respect he treats his lifelong goals I will not hurt you with my most severe punishing magic. I do however find it rather repelling that you two know these were once people who may not be good at the time or not at all and the one thing I have to say is their magic is what makes them important to me. Do you have any statements?"

Cooro could see the wheels turning in Diane's head. Faintly, he hoped that she and her partner would just tell them the information they wanted so they wouldn't have to interrogate yet another member of Crescent Genesis.

Thankfully, it seemed that Diane didn't have much interest in being interrogated by the mages.

"Fine, yes. What do you want to know?"

Gaston gasped. "Diane-sama! Why you give these flies what they want?! Master will be mad!"

"Well it's not like they can stop Master anyway."

"I have lost all respect for you Diane-sama!" the Man of Steel wailed, sobbing dramatically.

Erza stepped up. "What do you mean we won't be able to stop your master?"

Diane looked the Titania in the eye. "Because Master already has everything he needs. Did you really think Fairy Tail was the only guild we targeted?"

"There were other guilds?" China asked.

"Of _course_ there were other guilds. Fairy Tail's powerful and all, but without your Dragon Slayers you don't have a lot of raw power. Even if we _did_ get your Dragon Slayers it still wouldn't be enough to create an Etherion. So naturally we had to pick up some other guilds."

"Which ones?" Gia asked.

Diane shrugged. "Some small-time ones. The kind that not many would realize were gone, but _boy_ did some of them have a lot of power! There was this one independent guild we caught once...what was it's name again? Something stupid like...Crime Sorcerer-"

"CRIME SORCIERE!?" Erza exclaimed angrily.

Diane paled. "H-Hold up. Y-You know that guild!?"

The angry Titania grabbed Diane by her shirt and hoisted her up to eye level. "What did you do to them?" she growled

"W-We didn't g-get all of them! T-There was a D-Dragon Slayer and a C-Celestial S-Spirit mage t-there and a c-couple more of t-them got away! I d-don't know w-where they are! I-I swear!"

Erza sighed, recomposing herself and released Diane.

" If I didn't have one friend left or if you took more than just the human forms of guilds like my home and Crime Sorciere...all the good inside me would lose to how much I want your master and all who work for him to pay."

Diane rolled her eyes. "Well aren't you the noble one. But good luck trying to stop Master Orkan, you're going to need it."

"Why's that?" China asked, firmly crossing her arms over her chest.

"Because Master Orkan isn't human. No one knows what he is. Some say he's a demon, some say he's a god. Heck there are a few weirdos out there who think he's a dragon, but really it doesn't matter _what_ he is because even you people won't be able to stop him."

" Thanks for the heads up. Now how about I treat you two with the Cooro Dash special."

The dark mage sweat-dropped. "I think we'll pass."

" I have a secret I want to share with you two. That was a rhetorical answer."

The dark Mage screamed as Cooro transformed his right arm into a U shaped cannon.

"THE HELL! I THOUGHT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE GOOD GUYS!" Diane screamed.

An armored hand on his cannon arm, drew Cooro's attention away from the frightened dark mage before him. Erza had moved to stand next to him and was regarding him with a grave look in her violet eyes.

"Cooro. That's enough. I understand you are upset, I am as well. But this method is not appropriate for the situation."

"Yeah Cooro. Save it for when we actually have to fight." China piped up.

" You two still know absolutely nothing about me." Cooro was only going to listen to them now but the next time they tried to stop them he would just use his magic on them.

"Geez Cooro." China huffed, "What's got your boxers in a bunch?"

Cooro wasn't going to reply to the girl who should know everything about him by now or at least act like she has half his brain.

China scoffed lightly. "Fine then. Be that way Cooro."

Erza walked past Cooro towards Bato. The young water mage turned his attention from the cat in his arms to Erza as she spoke to him.

" Fairy Tail needs a water mage. Are you sure you can handle the four of us including your own life? Once you use your magic we will want you on the lines against Crescent Genesis or whoever turned that person into a cat."

Bato's face lit up like with a bright, excited smile as he nodded eagerly. "Yeah! You can count on me!"

Erza beamed back fondly. "Excellent."

The Requip mage wrapped an arm around the young mage and pulled him into a side hug against her metal armor. Cooro winced in sympathy as Bato's head made a dull _clang_ against Erza's breastplate. But most of Cooro's sympathy was directed towards the poor cat that had been in Bato's arms and was now sandwiched between Bato and Erza's armor.

' _I'll kill those two later. If there's one friend I have its pets. Well, pets and books and girls. I hate most people but the older the girl the more they can understand me. I guess the point right now is if that cat comes out unscathed I might have a plan.'_

China rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Okay Cooro we get it. You're a reclusive bookworm with a cat and a girlfriend. I'm sure we all know that. But how about instead of killing them we ask for the specific coordinates of their lair? I'm sure they'll be more than glad to tell us."

At this point, while China's expression read kindness and sunshine, her eyes said murder. In two seconds flat, she was writing down the coordinates of Crescent Genesis's hideout.

"Um. Hate to burst your bubble, but how is Bato going to navigate with these coordinates?" Gia asked.

"Simple." Erza said, "We use a compass and a map. I always keep one on hand."

Cooro rose a brow. "A map of the ocean floor?"

The Titania smiled. "You can never be too prepared."

Cooro could never stop wondering how she became the leader of this very important quest that could save their friends in no time at all. But at the same time, it was a bit of a relief that Erza was the one doing most of the leading. The Requip mage was very experienced as a leader, but that still didn't stop Cooro from feeling the need to be the leader instead. He was used to being the one giving the orders, not following them and it was a new experience for him. And he wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

"Right, so since we've got that all set, how about we go now?" Cooro suggested, feeling a little impatient, "We don't have any time to waste."

Erza nodded in agreement. "True, but there is still the matter of our fellow guild members and these two." the Requip mage gestured to Diane and Gaston, "We can't simply leave them out here."

A moment of silence settled over the group. Erza brought up a good point. If they left Gaston and Diane alone, they could probably find some way to contact and warn their master of the incoming attack and if they left the cats then they could get eaten or taken by other people as pets.

Eventually, Gia spoke up. "I'll take care of them. You guys save everyone else."

" Good Fairy Tail kitty whose only helping because she follows the spoiled and not very friendly Fairy Tail member and dork of my life, Cooro," China saluted the cat.

Gia stifled a small snort of laughter, but Cooro was not as amused.

"Shut up China." he muttered.

"Awww." she cooed, "Is the big dork mad?"

Cooro rolled his eyes and shot China a glare. "Yes, and unless you want me to blast you in the face with my Cannon, I suggest you shut up."

China put her hands up in mock surrender and backed up a little. "Okay, okay. Don't need to be so touchy."

Cooro wished the company he was around was someone who acted so caring to turmoil from the past because they too feel their curse is a past. One person like that was the first friend that was human and not an Exceed.

Eventually, the party had to split up. Gia went through with her promise and quickly set to work gathering the catified Fairy Tail mages and Diane and Gaston, and the rest got down to the water's edge. Bato was bouncing up and down next to Cooro like an excited kid, but upon closer inspection it could also be out of nervousness as well.

Cooro still wasn't sure how comfortable he was letting Bato come along on such an important and dangerous mission with his level of experience. However, it was too late to turn back now.

' _Wait...'_ Cooro was having an epiphany. ' _I remember something about April. If only I brought a lacrama with me. Even if I did I doubt now is the time for us to communicate.'_

"Hey Cooro." China said, rummaging through her bag, "I figured you might need this, so I grabbed it for y'ah."

Out of her bag, China produced a communication lacrama and tossed it to him.

"Go call your friends, but make it quick because I don't think we have much time to waste."

XXX

April didn't want to lose her friend and partner Komatsu. She was waiting for the news on his blood. If the test came back negative...the only choices April had was let him live the rest of his life if he wasn't in pain but if he was she would have to ask a doctor who wasn't even nice to put him down. Even beings of magic like every living mammal need protein to survive and Komatsu didn't absorb enough of it.

The test was taking longer than April wanted and she was forced to sit in the waiting room. It bored her greatly and she's lost track of how many times she'd counted the ceiling tiles.

After the worries and fears she had to think over a veterinarian came out holding her small furry friend Komatsu. Behind her was a blue bag and a middle aged bald man wearing a blue shirt.

"Good news" the vet said, "The test came back negative. He just had some tummy troubles, but it was nothing life threatening. We had to give him some medicine so he could pass it, and it made him a bit drowsy but he'll only be like this for a few hours."

Relief swelled in April's throat, forcing a relieved sigh from her. "That's a relief. Thank you so much."

The vet nodded curtly, handing Komatsu to her.

" Do you know the most disgusting thing to watch is a girl with a wet nose and a dog with a wet nose getting to close." The bald man walked in the middle of April and the veterinarian. " I came here trying to find a vet office that sells hats and sunglasses. My name is Lenny."

April scowled at Lenny, a small shock of anger shooting through her veins. "April. And why are you looking for sunglasses and hats in a _vet clinic_!? That's stupid."

" It's only stupid because you don't know where I come from we use sunglasses to keep dead animals hidden."

April's nose crinkled slightly in disgust. "Ooookkkaayyy. So why are you talking to me exactly?"

" I don't have to answer that question. All I know is you'll never get my respect and no matter what you do I better not see you around this vet office."

April was beginning to feel uneasy about this man. She shifted her weight between her legs for a moment.

"Oh...kay? Well, if this is how this conversation is going to continue, I'm just gonna go."

April made sure when she walked away she wasn't followed by the man who clearly felt some unhealthy and most likely pent up anger towards mages.

Out of nowhere though he popped out. What was strange about it was his hand touching his back.

April jumped back in surprise, making Komatsu flinch in his sleep. But before she could do anything, a strange snake tongue flickered out of his mouth. Stranger yet, his eyes turned a dark ruby red that almost glowed. April quickly found her feet cemented to the ground.

As suddenly as he appeared, the man vanished in a seriously cliche puff of smoke, the mysterious power that froze her to the spot breaking. When it did, it felt like an iron fist that had clamped around her heart released, leaving her momentarily gasping for breath.

 _What the heck was that?_ April thought, completely dumbfounded, _Well...whatever it was, it was unnerving that's for sure..._

April continued walking, still half trying to process what the heck just happened when something in her bag began to vibrate against her side. Adjusting so that Komatsu rested firmly in one arm, April reached into her bag and pulled out the communication lacrama. The baseball-sized sphere of magical crystal was pulsing with a strong green light.

This light was showing her someone's inner magic. Whoever it was seemed to be in trouble. An image began to take shape within the crystal. April's eyes lit up in recognition.

"Cooro!" she exclaimed, "What's up?"

The Armory mage spoke, but there was some interference that blurred some of his words. April was only able to catch the words "guild's in trouble", "crescent genesis", and "ocean floor".

"Uh. Could you repeat that? There's something interfering with the signal." April said, holding the sphere up in hopes of getting a better lock on Cooro's magical connection.

However, instead of the quality improving, Cooro's face disappeared completely. April cursed loudly in frustration when another face appeared in the sphere. It was a man with a rather ugly crescent shaped scar curving around his right eye. He had a ratty black bead that looked like it needed a serious trim with hedge clippers and his violet eyes were cold and vaguely mocking. The man grinned wickedly at April, his eyes locked on her before the lacrama suddenly shattered in her hands.

She recoiled sharply as the fragments of green crystal rained onto the pavement. April had a sinking feeling she had figured out at least one part of Cooro's message, but she had to get back to Magnolia just to be sure. But first she had to get to the others.

XXX

Haru didn't know how but he would win this game. This was the start of his journey and it wasn't going to end here. With glory on the line he would become a master.

Haru was playing a fun game of chess. However, his delightful game was brought to an abrupt end when the ceiling above him suddenly collapsed in a heavy explosion. Haru was thrown from his chair as two tons of ceiling material crushed the chess table into a centimeter thick plate. Standing over the spot where the chess table had been, were four people bearing an emblem that Haru hadn't seen before. He could guess they were part of some guild or another, but from the dead look in their eyes and the wicked smiles on their faces, he could make a solid guess that these people were not from any legal guild.

One of the people, a willowy man with smoking, charred hands, turned to him. His eyes narrowed and he extended his hand towards Haru, his palm coming alive with a radioactive green glow.

" Whoever you are, the one who can glow green, your no match against my tutelage from Erza Scarlet. Ninja Body: Dagger Belt Armor!"

Haru charged at the glowing green man, who rolled his eyes as a wall of vines erupted between them. A few quick swings of his daggers quickly took care of that obstacle, but when Haru reached the other side, he was staring down a different man with an impressive head of orange hair. The orange haired man clapped his hands in Haru's face and a powerful explosion blasted Haru back into the vine wall that had regrown into a snare-like net that caught him in its grasp.

"'Tutelage from Erza Scarlet' you say?" the radioactive guy mocked in a posh accent, "If this is the best you can do, than the Titania isn't as powerful as the rumors claim."

Haru's expression darkened. "Don't you _dare_ insult Erza!"

He was in for a flash of pain from the pupil of Erza Scarlet.

(Brief POV shift)

Somewhere under the waves, Erza felt a sudden and unexplainable disappointment that caused a frown deeply.

"What's wrong Erza?" China asked.

"Nothing." The Re-quip mage said, "For some reason, I feel extremely disappointed in Haru."

(Back to Haru)

A few strong, almost unseen strokes of Haru's blades had him free of the vines and he chucked the dagger in his right hand at the posh acid guy. The radioactive mage's eyes widened as the blade buried itself in his knee, immediately dropping him to the floor faster than he could blink.

Haru was going to kick him now and not care if his kick bruised his face.

Unfortunately, an unexpected pain tore through his left side before he could land the blow and Haru was knocked to the side and off balance. His side burned angrily with pain and glancing down, he could see why. Four scarlet red claw wounds of moderate depth marked his side, narrow streams of blood dripping from the cuts. It wasn't difficult to deduce who had inflicted the wounds for just a few feet directly in front of Haru stood a third man with wicked claws for hands that glistened ominously in the stray daylight.

The radioactive man stood once again, and with a grunt of pain, wrenched Haru's dagger from his shoulder. A moment later, the metal of the blade had begun to glow an brilliant green before melting into an indistinguishable puddle of toxic goo. The radioactive man shot Haru a hateful glare as his own wound bleed.

"What do you want us to do about him, Nomen?" the lady asked the radioactive man as Haru got to his feet.

The radioactive man, Nomen's, face twisted into an expression of absolute loathing. "Forget Master's orders. This brat dies here."

The atmosphere of the room changed with those words and though Haru hid it well, he had a sinking feeling he was out of his depth. The wound in his side stung, but he was able to ignore the pain enough to not let it hinder him.

"Ninja Body: White Paladin!"

The moment those words exited his mouth, Haru's outfit transmuted to the hard armor of his Paladin Requip. He rolled his shoulders to adjust to the sudden weight of his armor, but was thankful for the extra protection. That, and the massive broadsword he now wielded in his hands.

He was wearing a nifty uniform and felt a gentle breeze through his hair. He liked this uniform.


	7. Chapter 7

**I am more sorry to those of you I kept waiting writing this chapter but I work full time now and I cannot continue without the help of my coauthor Karen White who is now purewriting. Hope you like this action filled chapter.**

The claw man lunged at Haru, claws extended to their full length and catching the sunlight ominously. Haru dodged left, the clawed man hurtling past him and face planting into the floor. The familiar buzz of charging magic reached Haru's ears from behind him and he ducked just in time to evade an attack from the man wielding explosion magic. A well placed back-kick had that enemy crashing into another table.

"Who exactly are you?" Haru demanded.

Vines erupted under his feet, withering like snakes and attempting to anchor him to the ground. Haru swung his weapon at the vines, hacking away at them, but the more he sliced, the more vines came to take the place of the ones he cut.

"We are members of Crescent Genesis. The four of us are some of their elite. The Eclipse Order." the plant lady said monotonely, "But that shouldn't matter to you now as you will die here today and make lovely fertilizer to my plants."

The vines continued creeping around Haru and it was getting harder to move. Any vines he cut just grew back as quickly as he cut them. This was a predicament for sure, but Haru couldn't give up and risk staining Erza's name. It was his job as her student to uphold her reputation. Haru kept swinging, but he could tell that this was a fruitless endeavor. The vines were over powering him.

"Die out Fairy Tail mage." the plant lady hissed bitterly as the vines completely over took him in a thorny, green cocoon.

Though he was completely encased, Haru still fought, but the vine prison limited his movements and even after re-quipping a dagger he couldn't get a good enough swing to do any helpful damage. He fought none the less, but he couldn't help but notice how it was getting harder to breath.

 _These vines...! They must be...sucking out the air!..._ Haru thought slowly.

Haru continued to struggle, but any thoughts of strategy were lost as the concentration of air in this prison decreased. The edges of his vision were taking on black rims and it was getting harder and harder to fill his lungs with each passing second. But then, the entire left side of the vine cocoon gave out and with little grace, Haru tumbled out gasping for breath, though not before pulling his legs free of his former tomb first.

"Need a hand Haru?" a thankfully familiar voice asked, tone half mocking and half serious.

Looking up with clearer vision, Haru saw April standing over him, arm glittering with a metallic light in the form of a wickedly barbed sword blade. A brief, somewhat embarrassed smile formed on his face as he took his friend's hand and stood.

"Thanks April. Let's show these losers what we can really do."

With new strength, Haru and April charged the four enemies. Nomen shouted angrily at the others, but Haru didn't pay him much mind and instead focused his attention on the Plant Mage. Her blank stare met his and sent chills up his spine for a brief moment. As for April, Haru saw her engaging with the clawed mage and the Explosion Mage in his peripheral vision. It briefly crossed his mind that Nomen was no where to be seen before a burning pain shot up through his back.

Haru yelped and spun around on his heel, swinging his sword in a strong horizontal arc. It had indeed been Nomen standing behind him, but as the blade approached him, Nomen extended a toxic green palm in the direction the blade approached from. When the metal made contact with his skin, Nomen's hand passed clean through, severing the top third of the blade from the rest. Surprise crossed Haru's face for a moment before he remembered his back was facing towards a second enemy.

His awareness had returned to that second enemy in time to strike her in the gut with a hard back-fist. She cried sharply as she stumbled backwards. Already planning out his next moves, Haru spun back around striking the Plant Mage's side with a rigid roundhouse kick before twisting back towards Nomen in time to catch his wrist before the Acid mage touched him again.

However, Haru had underestimated his enemy's strength and quickly lost his grip. Instinctively, Haru shifted what remained of his sword in front of him. Just as before, Nomen's hand came clean through the metal, but stopped halfway up his forearm, thankfully leaving him unable to reach Haru.

A dark grin played on Nomen's face. "You're weapons are useless Fairy brat." he chided.

"True." Haru admitted, "But I can find ways around that. Like this."

Haru summoned every ounce of strength in his muscles and twisted his sword with Nomen's hand trapped in it as he quickly stepped passed the mage, kicked out Nomen's feet from under him and flung him over his shoulder while he was off balanced, using his sword as leverage. Haru smirked down at his enemy, but his victory was short lived. A vine lashed around his torso, pinning his arms to his sides and digging into the exposed parts of his skin with their hooked barbs and agitating the burn wound and the claw wound on his side and back. Haru's grip on his sword handle was lost as he was torn upwards and the weight of Nomen's body outmatched the strength of Haru's grasp.

"Ninja Body: Wheel Armor!"

Four daggers materialized around Haru with his new armor, cutting his free in the process. Haru dropped past the barbed vines that made rough grabs at him and made a solid landing on the rubble covered floor. Pushing off, Haru bolted at the Plant mage before she could react and skillfully threw two of his daggers. The polished blades flew over her shoulders, catching a decent amount of her garment and embedded themselves deeply in the pillar behind her. A cry of surprise escaped her lips before a punch to the gut, courtesy of Haru, put her out of the fight.

"What!?" Nomen exclaimed in shock, "Silva! How could you be so weak!? You let a-a _brat_ like him defeat you? Disgraceful!"

Turning towards the enemy mage, Haru saw that was remained of his sword had been reduced to a puddle of silvery goo that possessed a strange green shine around Nomen's feet.

Bob smirked at her. "What's the matter? Too tough for you?"

He took another swing at her with his other hand. She rose her other arm, turning it into titanium this time. The dark mage's claws hit, but didn't dig in to the tougher metal. The other guy, Vacca, launched at her, fists sparking dangerously. April planted her foot hard into Bob's stomach and launched him into his ally. They collided and landed in a heap on the rubble covered floor.

"Nope. I think I'm doing just fine." she quipped.

Both enemies stood up again and bolted towards her. Metal crawled over her skin, coating her in a malleable armor. Vacca reached her first and hit her hard with an explosive blast. It packed a bigger punch than she was expecting and actually made her skid back a bit. She swung a fist at him and connected, but he hit back just as quickly and just as hard. Bob jumped in too, slashing at her armor persistently. April had chosen to make her armor titanium, but she was doubting how long she could keep this up. Both her enemies were determined to beat her and she couldn't count on Haru to back her up.

Haru was having a bit of trouble. Nomen was about as tough as he expected him to be, but the enemy mage was melting through his weapons. Though he wasn't looking too good. Haru had successfully inflicted some nasty wounds on him but Nomen kept coming. Haru guessed he was being propelled by pure rage.

Nomen sent acid attack after acid attack Haru's way, but Haru was nimble enough on his feet to dodge consistently. He'd have to thank Erza for the dancing lessons later.

"You can't dodge forever!" Nomen bellowed, another wave of acid burning across the floor.

Haru jumped over it, landing on the broken remains of a chair. The mage wobbled for a moment, but kept his balance. Which was a good thing since there was a massive puddle of bubbling acid below him. All around him actually.

 _Oh no._ Haru thought, _That sneaky punk boxed me in!_

The acid was slowly creeping towards the small wooden island Haru stood on, like a predator stalking its prey. Haru started looking for a possible escape route.

"End of the line Fairy brat!" Nomen declared.

Just at that moment, Haru's eyes shot up to the heavy oak beams in the ceiling. Almost directly above him was the hole that Nomen and his crew had made in the ceiling and sticking about a foot into it was the splintered end of a beam. Haru wasn't 100% sure it would hold his weight, but at this point his choices were acid and more acid. Magic shot through his hand as a kyoketsu-shoge appeared in his grip. A strong snap of his wrist sent the blade up into the rafters with the rope trailing behind it like a comet's tail. The blade swung around the beam several times before it lodged itself deeply in the wood. Haru grasped the rope and swung his full weight on it as Nomen's attack sailed past him so close that he could feel the toxic heat against his skin. Above him the beam creaked in protest before a thunderous crack echoed through the large room. The rope suddenly went slack in Haru's hands and he crashed into the floor, unable to make a more graceful landing. Thankfully, he had long passed over the acid moat that had previously cornered him.

Some of the acid had gotten on his knees. It wasn't enough to cause any lasting damage, he didn't think, but it did hurt a bit. However, he didn't have time to linger on the topic as Nomen resumed attacking.

April's fist collided hard with Vacca's jaw. The bone made a sickening crack and the explosion mage fell backwards, out cold. Her right fist throbbed painfully inside its metal casing. She hissed in pain as another stab of pain wrenched through her arm.

"Damn," she cursed under her breath, "I think it's broken."

Behind her, she felt Bob stall. Sluggishly, she turned to face him. Her armor had retracted to cover only her arms. It was all she could manage and even that was a struggle. She could feel the metal trying to fluctuate to something weaker, but she forced it to remain titanium.

These two were blockheads, but they knew how to fight. If it had been one-on-one, April might not have been as magically and physically spent as she was, but in a two-on-one, it was a miracle that she managed to beat one of them while the other was working on her too. But now the playing field was leveled.

Bob slashed at her. She rose her arm and the claws skidded harmlessly off the metal. April noted that his moves were getting sluggish too. This fight was going to be over soon, one way or another and she was determined to be the victor.


End file.
